Lunchbox Ideas for Children of All Ages

It’s back to school, which means parents need a creative game plan for lunches. Kids tend not to finish lunch or end up trading if it’s boring! Lunch can always be fun and healthy. Don’t forget to check if your child’s school or daycare has an allergy-free policy before planning a weekly lunch menu. The following are fun and nutritious lunchbox ideas for your child.

Let your child pick out their lunch gear no matter how old they are. This ensures that the lunch box or bag will be fun to open for lunchtime. Make sure to pick up a thermos and small containers in their favorite color. For napkins, go to the dollar store and pick out a favorite cartoon theme. Packaging up lunch in their favorite things will beat a brown paper bag.

Lunch doesn’t always have to be a sandwich and can get boring for a child if he or she knows it’s a cheese sandwich again. Some great sandwich ideas are meatloaf, cream cheese and jam, cream cheese and cucumbers, pizza sauce and pepperoni and a cold grilled cheese. Make it fun by using cookie cutters to make sandwich shapes. Freeze juice boxes and use them as an ice pack to keep sandwiches cold. By the time lunchtime rolls around, your child will have a delicious slushy drink.

Some parents think sending a thermos with their child makes it harder for them at lunch. Having a thermos gives your child a healthy variety of hot and cold lunches. To keep a thermos hot, fill with boiling water and let stand for a few minutes before pouring the water out. For hot lunch thermos ideas, try homemade macaroni, spaghetti, soups, chili, meatballs and ravioli. If you want to send a cold thermos, fill with ice cubes for a few minutes and let stand for a few minutes before removing. For cold thermos ideas, send macaroni salad, chicken salad and cut up fruit or vegetables.

Use smaller containers to add healthy side dishes to your child’s lunch. There are many alternatives to a bag of chips that your child will enjoy. Some great ideas for a fussy child would be rice pudding and raisins, fruit salad, bananas and honey, cream cheese and celery stalks, cheese in fun shapes and yogurt with cranberries. Always bring your child grocery shopping and encourage them to try new things.

Finding ideas for your child’s lunch doesn’t have to be stressful. You can use leftovers from dinners to add to a thermos or sandwich. Have your child help you prepare a nutritious fruit or vegetable dip for the week. Get them involved by picking out cookie cutters and punching out shapes on breads and cheese. Always try new breads and cheese to encourage new tastes and textures. Precut vegetables with your child and store them in the fridge to save time. For great vegetable ideas, try carrots, broccoli, olives, red pepper, pickles, tomatoes, celery and cucumbers.


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